Plans Announced for Luxury Senior Living at Kiawah Island
July 20, 2018
KIAWAH ISLAND, SC–Kiawah Partners, master developer of Kiawah Island and owner of the private Kiawah Island Club, has partnered with Big Rock Partners, a real estate investment management and development firm, to build a senior living rental community in Freshfields Village.
The 200-unit community for seniors aged 55+ will consist of club residences for independent living, assisted living units, and memory care units. Big Rock Partners, based out of Florida and California, is an industry leader in new-generation senior living and has opened two similar senior living communities in the past year. Its communities, set in other prime locations and with resort-style amenities, offer a rental alternative to traditional continuing care retirement communities that require upfront entrance fees.
The as-of-yet unnamed community, estimated to cost $125 million, will be built overlooking the lake next to Freshfields Village, a town-center style mix of shopping, dining, and businesses, and across from the Andell Inn.
“This is a meaningful use for the land,” said partner at Kiawah Partners, Chris Randolph. “When we took over Kiawah Partners five years ago, we held a number of town meetings to get to know the residents on the island and hear their wishes for Kiawah’s future. Senior living was one of the greatest interests the residents expressed.”
“There are current Kiawah homeowners who are aging, who want to downsize and require higher degrees of service levels,” Randolph explained, when asked why residents were interested in senior living options. “They don’t want to lose touch with their social circles by moving off the island. Senior living on Kiawah allows them to keep their ties to the island, and for many, to the Kiawah Island Club.”
Randolph says he and his partners immediately began exploring the idea, but would not move forward until they found the perfect partner. They are confident they’ve found the right developer in Big Rock Partners, led by Senior Managing Partner Richard Ackerman.
“There’s been exponential growth in the active senior population in Charleston, S.C,” said Ackerman. “We wanted to bring a state-of-the-art senior living experience to the Lowcountry. When we found the land at Kiawah, we knew it would be the perfect place to build the luxury senior living option for which we are known. We look forward to a fruitful relationship with Kiawah Partners, Kiawah Island, and the greater Charleston community.”
With plans to break ground in late Q4 2018, Kiawah Partners and Big Rock Partners have assembled a best-in-class design and architecture team, including architects at LS3P, landscape architects at SGA Architecture, general contractor Balfour Beatty, and the Kiawah Partners design and development team. Life Care Services, an LCS Company, will manage the new community upon completion.
The community will have its own movie facility, multiple pools, a state-of-the-art fitness facility with a yoga studio, and multiple food and beverage options.
“As soon as we heard Richard Ackerman’s ideas, we knew it was what we wanted,” said Randolph. “This new community will be of the highest caliber, exactly in-line with what residents and guests have come to expect from Kiawah.”
The community is currently slated for completion in Q1 2020.